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American Morning

House Passes Health Reform; What Healthcare Reform Means; Student Loan Reform; What It Means To Be Intelligent

Aired March 22, 2010 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good Monday morning to you. Thanks for joining us on the Most News in the Morning on this March 22nd. I'm John Roberts.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. Glad you're with us.

Here are the big stories we're breaking down in the next 15 minutes.

America now is a president signature away from health care reform. A sweeping overhaul passed by the House late last night. A win for the people if you ask the president, but railroading according to Republicans. So, how will the plan really impact you and your family? We'll take a look -- ahead.

ROBERTS: Tiger Woods opens up answering questions from reporters for the first time since his dramatic fall from grace. Woods admits that he was, quote, "living a lie," and says he's nervous about how fans will react when he returns to the links at the Masters next month.

CHETRY: Also, a special report on human intelligence. If you think you're pretty smart, well, it takes more than a high mark on an I.Q. test to make the grade. Where you score on the smart meter? Straight ahead.

ROBERTS: We begin this hour with America on the verge of making health care history. The president's signature is all that's left before we overhaul the way doctors and patients do business.

The House passing a bill last night, the final vote: 219 for, 212 against. Not a single Republican voting in favor of the bill that provides health insurance coverage to 2/3 of Americans who don't have it now. And 34 Democrats voted against it as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At a time when the pundits said it was no longer possible, we rose above the weight of our politics.

Tonight, we answered the call of history as so many generations of Americans have before us. When faced with crisis, we did not shrink from our challenge, we overcame it. We did not avoid our responsibility. We embraced it. We did not fear our future. We shaped it.

This legislation will not fix everything that ails our health care system but it moves us decisively in the right direction. This is what change looks like.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: And this morning, CNN is covering this story like no one else from inside the Beltway to what voters are feeling in Florida, what it means for you and for the president going forward.

ROBERTS: First, let's turn to our Jim Acosta. He's got the impact that the bill is going to have on you.

Break it all down for us, Jim. What's in this measure? What's about to change?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Big changes, John. Ninety-five percent of all Americans will have health care when it's all said and done. That's the goal of this legislation.

But we're talking about some major changes to the nation's health care system that will happen this year, almost right away. Let's get right to it.

Within the next six months, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Within 90 days, adults who can't get insurance because of the pre- existing conditions would be able to sign up for a new high-risk insurance pool, and young adults will be able to stay on their parents' insurance plan until they turn 26.

John, those are elements of the bill that take place sooner. And they hope that folks will start liking this law better than they liked the bill because of those elements.

ROBERTS: So, those are changes that will be measured in terms of weeks and months, what about down the road? If we are looking years down the road, what are some of the elements that will not take effect immediately?

ACOSTA: Exactly. The biggest parts of this big will not take effect until 2014.

Take the mandates -- President Obama campaigned against these when he was running for president. Now, he's for them. In 2014, almost every American is going to be required by law to buy health insurance. If you don't, in many cases -- and almost all cases -- you will pay a penalty.

Now, there are also some penalties for larger businesses if they don't cover their workers. Another major piece of this bill that doesn't take effect until 2014 is this idea of an exchange, a new insurance marketplace for the uninsured and small businesses. If you can't get health care because you have a pre-existing condition, you will be able to go to your state health exchange, sort of like up in Massachusetts which you just talked about, and Medicaid. That's the program that provides health care for the poor -- that will be expanded dramatically to 16 million people.

ROBERTS: All right. Jim Acosta with the latest on that for us this morning -- Jim, thanks so much.

By the way, check out CNN.com for more on how this bill will impact you. There is a terrific little interactive feature that explains when exactly all of these changes will go into effect and how they will affect you.

CHETRY: We've also been asking people to sort of weigh in right now. And we did get some reaction from our live blog, on CNN.com/amFIX. One person wrote in, Amy, "This is the best thing that could have happened. I have diabetes and have been paying cash for everything. It adds up to $700 a month. Now, I'll be able to get health insurance."

Then on the flip side, Harvey says, "I have a small business with 20 employees. I've been providing them health insurance. But this move by Congress will cost me an extra $157,000 a year. Tough to swallow when I have a net profit of only $20,000 a year."

And keep them coming. We like to hear from all of you and this live blogging continues throughout our show. Meanwhile, we are going to get other reaction from average folks about the health care bill in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where our John is with a breakfast crowd at a local diner.

Hi, John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran. You know, you just mentioned a small business owner talking about how much it's going to cost him to, you know, insure his workers.

And I'm joined here by Buddy and Diana Street.

And, Buddy, you are a small business owner, shipping repair.

BUDDY STREET, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER: Yes, I am.

ZARRELLA: So, this has you concerned from that standpoint, right? You got what, about 18 employees?

B. STREET: It varies, from 18 to 20 employees. I am concerned. Just heard on the news coming down the road while ago that a small business owner can be fined if he doesn't do and follow what's coming up right now for these new changes. And I'm not against a change totally, but if it is a change in the right direction.

But I understand there are too many loopholes in this bill that they passed through. They are jamming something down people's throats and they don't realize what all they are getting jammed down their throat.

And, incidentally, I have had health insurance for many, many years and I am a cancer survivor. I have survived two major aneurysms. And I didn't have any problem with the insurance that I had because I got good health care. But if it's going to change on what kind of health care I get now, I am on Social Security --

ZARRELLA: So, you got a lot of questions about exactly how this is going to shake out.

B. STREET: I sure do.

ZARRELLA: And, Diana, you were telling me, you have concerns about it as well, right?

DIANA STREET, FT. LAUDERDALE REPUBLICAN: Yes, I absolutely do. I believe the system is broken. It needs repairs. But I don't know why the people who created this aren't also included in it. That's my big objection to it.

ZARRELLA: You are saying that the members of Congress and the Senate, what's good for the goose ought to be good for the gander. They should have the same health care insurance that everybody should have?

D. STREET: I absolutely feel that way. Yes. And for that reason, I'm against it.

ZARRELLA: And, you know, we did, Kiran, have an opportunity, you know, in the last couple of hours, not right now, though, a lot of folks come and go, and I talked to some people who were for it and some people in the health care business who told us, look, you know, we see cases every day of folks coming into our hospitals that need care but don't have the money for it. So, we are really getting a broad range of opinion here of people who are against it, like, you know, Buddy and Diana here, to folks that we've talked to earlier on the air who are for it, and for social reasons, et cetera.

So, a real cross-section. It's kind of divided. You are not getting a universal opinion one way or the other here at Lester's Diner in Fort Lauderdale -- John, Kiran.

CHETRY: Yes. That sort of mirrors what we saw play out through this entire debate in Washington, as well on us, for every day streets all over America.

John Zarrella, thanks.

ROBERTS: Seven and a half minutes after the hour now. Let's get a quick check of this morning's weather headlines. Rob Marciano is at the weather center in Atlanta.

We got another potential nor'easter brewing today, Rob. This is, what, number 495 of the season?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I think I've lost count. For you guys, yes, it's going to be windy and wet beginning later on today and lasting right through tomorrow. So, the rivers that were swollen or flooded last week are under a flood watch again today.

Here's what it looks like on the map, kind of a big old mess. This has brought snow to Denver, snow to north Dallas, and now, even bringing flakes of snow to Atlanta, some white mixing in on the radar scope. But down to the south into the 30s, and we are getting reports outside of the CNN Center here in downtown Atlanta of some flakes flying through the air across north Georgia. No accumulation expected.

Meanwhile, temps in the 50s across the Northeast. So, you are in the warm sector. And typically, the warm sector means greater chance of seeing precipitation. So, flood watches are posted for parts of Northeast. Sixty degrees for the high temperature today, but it will be a warm and at times, wet one with heavy rain possible right on through tomorrow.

Much more weather details in about 30 minutes -- John, Kiran.

ROBERTS: It's really amazing to see it, Rob. Just kind of, you know, storm after storm, wrapping up over Texas and going through Georgia and on up into the Northeast this year. Amazing.

MARCIANO: It has been quite a winter. And now that we are officially in the spring, it looks like it wants to keep going.

ROBERTS: Tell it to stop, Rob. Please.

MARCIANO: I'll try. All right, guys.

ROBERTS: Coming up in nine minutes after the hour, more on the health care debate. We're going to have the former surgeon general, Admiral David Satcher, joining us in just a couple of minute, along with Dr. Bill Frist, former Senate majority leader, to weigh in on what they think of the bill and what they think is missing. Both of them say that there could be improvements made.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Twelve minutes after the hour.

The health care bill may have passed on Capitol Hill. But we all know that that won't stop the debate. So, what's going to work and what won't.

Here to talk about the good, the bad and ugly, former Senate majority leader for the GOP and surgeon, Dr. Bill Frist. Along with the former surgeon general for Presidents Clinton and Bush, Dr. David Satcher. He's now at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

Gentlemen, great to see you this morning. Thanks so much for being with us. Let me address if I could, both as doctor, just to keep the playing field understandable and even here.

And Dr. Frist, let start with you. You are in favor of sweeping health care reform. What passed the House -- is that what it should look like?

DR. BILL FRIST (R), FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: You know, John, this is a start. The two issues are access, coverage issues and cost issues. This bill was limited in the sense that it addressed just one of those issues, the coverage issues.

And historically, if you look at what other countries done, they've done exactly the same thing. They said, let's get everybody in the pool and just worry about cost later. And that's what Massachusetts did.

But the lesson is going to be -- yes, a good first step in covering 32 million people. But we got to control the cost in a time of deficit, debt, global competitiveness, taxes going up, premiums likely going up -- all of which is going to drive the cost of health care up and not down.

ROBERTS: Let's talk in a second about ways to do that.

But, first of all, Dr. Satcher, you said that this bill is not perfect. What would you liked to have seen in there that's not in there?

DR. DAVID SATCHER, FMR. SURGEON GENERAL: First, let me say I am delighted with this bill, because I think it's a very significant first step. I think it's good news for the 32 million people who will be included immediately. I think it's good news that people will not be dropped from their insurance because they get sick. I think it's good news because people will not be denied because of pre-existing conditions.

I'm delighted that primary care will be better supported and even prevention. However, I wish that we were moved toward more emphasis on incentivizing prevention. I think we got to get to schools involved in terms of physical education and nutrition. I think every family needs access to safe places to be physically active and fresh fruits and vegetables. So, how do you do that? You have to partner with the social determinants of health.

But I'm delighted that we have made this great first step.

ROBERTS: All right. Some people argue that prevention is one way to lower health costs because healthy people use less health care. Dr. Frist, what else would you like to see done to contain the cost of health care?

Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta last week talked with the CEO -- a former CEO of the Mayo Clinic, which has, like Cleveland Clinic, a new model where everybody is on salary. You pay to treat the disease as opposed to piecemeal fee for service type of thing.

FRIST: Yes.

ROBERTS: Is that a good model that can go forward or you got some other idea?

FRIST: You know, I think it's very important. And now is the time to focus on these costs. They are going to start just skyrocketing right now because 32 million people now are going to have plans. They're going to be spending a lot more, no constraint.

First of all, I agree with what David said. Let's look at prevention, wellness, behavior. Michelle Obama's initiative is not going to use government, it's going to use a public/private partnerships. That's a way to go there.

I would look at some obvious things. Tort reform, we hear it again and again. Is it the most important issue you out there? No, but it does affect doctor behavior -- doctor/patient behavior, it depends on the medicine.

ROBERTS: Sure.

FRIST: Number two, I would go ahead and open up the insurance markets to more competition. There is not that much competition in market-based reform in this bill. At the end of the day, I think consumers are smart enough if they have got good information in a regulated market. So, being able to shop across state borders, I would put number two.

Number three, I think in truth, is probably number one, is what you mentioned. We need to have a lot more payment reform. Only by having payment reform are we going to be able to align incentives of the patient, the consumer, the doctor, the hospital, the wellness programs. Right now, it's a free for all. Everybody is billing everybody. It's fee for service. There is no incentive out there to align around a goal of value with value-based health care reform.

Now, it is all volume based. The more you do, the more you get, the more money that's spent in the system. So, I would have put in this bill a lot more focus on aligning interest around value-based reimbursement.

ROBERTS: Dr. Satcher, Doctor Frisk mentioned this idea of the public/private partnership that arises out of this health care bill. Now that the bill has passed the house and looks like may pass the senate with the fixes. What needs to be done to ensure that that public/private partnership actually works?

DR. DAVID SATCHER, FORMER SURGEON GENERAL FOR BUSH AND CLINTON: Well, I think the national exchanges certainly allow for public/private partnerships. And also they have to be monitored. The surgeon general will have a responsibility for looking at what constitutes the components of good care. I think that is going to help. Together, we have to make this work. It's obviously not going to work without a lot of input from people who care. But, I think this tremendous first step is really great news for this country. And it changes our position in the world. It changes our relationships to each other. And for those of us who come from backgrounds where we didn't have access to care, it is a great day in America. ROBERTS: But Dr. Satcher, you also have some other concerns. Congressman Jim Clyburn called this the civil rights act of the 21st century. But, you are concerned about some racial and ethnic disparities still lingering out there in healthcare? What are your concerns?

SATCHER: As surgeon general and assistant of health, I led the effort to develop the goal of eliminating disparities in health. And the first thing I want to say is that, universal access to care is critical for eliminating disparities in health. We have to have more minority physicians. The health care system has to be representative of the population and we have to have initiatives that respond to the unique needs of different cultures in our society. We have some real opportunities here, this is a great first step.

ROBERTS: Dr. Frisk, just before we go, I know that you are launching a new initiative today, that does not have anything to do with this health care bill. It is world water day today. Tell us a little bit about H2O 2010, the world tour?

FRIST: You know, it does all tie together in sort of a oneness of health. Today is world water day. The facts are 1.2 billion people, one out of five don't have access to clean water, around the world including in Appalachia, and a lot of the other places near where David and I live. But, lack of access to clean water translates down into childhood death, pneumonia, diarrhea. That is the number one cause of death in young people today.

So that's what we are doing today in World Health Day. Brad Paisley is kicking off in May a yearlong, 75 tour, 75 performances called water, H2O. In that, we are partnering with him, Hope Through Healing Hands, that is focusing on global water with this water tour to take that message out, that water is a problem in Bangladesh. Water is a problem in Haiti where I was three weeks ago. And water is a problem in Appalachia. Clean water, it's cheap, it's inexpensive, and it can save lives.

So, thanks Brad Paisley. Thanks David Satcher, who has been in the middle of this. And with that, around the world, we can change the course of humanity.

ROBERTS: Sounds like a great program.

DR. SATCHER: Thanks, Bill Frist.

ROBERTS: All right. Well, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Bill Frisk, thanks for being with us this morning. We really appreciate your perspective.

FRIST: Thank you. Great to be with you, John.

ROBERTS: Kiran.

CHETRY: We have been talking a lot about the health care reform bill that's now ready for the president's signature. How does it affect you? We are getting some viewer feedback. Kelly writes, ordinary person here who is scared to holy heck by what this is going to mean in my paycheck in the next few years, very unfortunate.

We also got an e-mail from David who writes, "This bill will likely save my life. It prevents insurance companies from denying coverage for preexisting conditions, so it becomes necessary to replace my damaged heart valve, this operation would be covered."

We would like to know more about how you think this reform will impact you. We want to know. Please share your stories with us. Go to our live blog, cnn.com/amfix and tell us your story. It's 20 minutes after the hour. We'll be right back, "Minding Your Business."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Welcome back, 22 minutes past the hour right now. It's time for "Minding Your Business." We have Stephanie Elam with us today in for Christine, and we are talking about some changes to student loans.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: There was a lot going on on Sunday down in Washington. This is one thing that may not have gotten as much attention. But, there are going to be changes to how people get student loans now.

And this is really going to be a big deal. Because most people now, they get a loan through a private company and then that money is backed by the government. Well, the way things are changing now, the government will not be using a middle man anymore. You won't see any bankers in the middle of this. Because what will happen is all federally backed student loans will come directly from the government. And they are also boosting funding for need-based scholarships as well.

So, they are cutting out the middle man to make the education loans guaranteed by the government and this will save $61 billion over ten years according to the congressional budget office. They are also increasing pel grants which has really been slammed. And they are facing a massive shortfall with these pel grants. So, it's going to increase to nearly $6,000 by 2017 as well.

The senate is going to take up this measure in the next few days. But they are expected to pass it as well. The new system would start in July. And the government says they will make about $500 billion in direct loans in the first ten years.

Of course, because we are talking about things that are coming out of Washington, there are critics to this whole idea here. And Republicans who have been against it are saying that this is not going to be good for the banking sector, that this is going to cut people out of the loop and jobs will be lost because of this. Also, they are saying the government just doesn't have the manpower to get this done and because of that, that there will be delays and there will be errors, because when Washington gets involved, they are saying the bureaucracy of it all slows things down.

That's something you have never heard before, right? Breaking news, right? So, yes, that's the other concern that people have too, that there is not just going to be enough. This is a huge change for how people typically go about getting their student loans.

ROBERTS: We'll see if it works.

ELAM: Yes, exactly. And it still has to go, remember, it still has to go through the senate.

ROBERTS: Thanks, Steph. Appreciate it. Stephanie Elam, "Minding Your Business" this morning. It's 24 minutes after the hour.

David Gergen, always a crowd pleaser, coming right up in just a couple of minutes, with his thoughts on the politics of the health care bill and what it is going to mean for the president and democrats going forward. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning and an A.M. original, something that you will see only on American Morning. Do you think you are smart? Well, that depends on the definition of smart.

CHETRY: And are you just born smart or do you become smart if you are not there yet? Well, this week in our special series, "Are You Smart?" Alina Cho examines all aspects of intelligence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEREDITH RESNICK, LEARNING SPECIALIST: What is this? What is the man doing? Which one matches this? You are so smart. Are you sure you are only three.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is. But believe it or not, this 3-year-old is taking a special class to prepare him for an entrance exam for kindergarten. Sort of an S.A.T. style, Kaplan course, for the toddler set.

RESNICK: It is a little like getting into college to get into kindergarten.

CHO (on camera): Does it not seem crazy to you?

RESNICK: It is a crazy system.

CHO (voice-over): It's happening all over the country. In some cases, kids are being tested at 27 months, 30 months, barely out of diapers to determine whether they are gifted and talented, smart.

DANIEL PINK, AUTHOR, A WHOLE NEW MIND: Good God, I mean, a kid tested when they are barely over two years old. Somehow doesn't pass muster and that kid goes down an entirely different track from a more precocious 27-month-old. That's insane.

CHO: For adults, the I.Q. test is the standard, clear cut, right and wrong answers. Average score, 100. But researchers say, I.Q., your intelligence quotient, is only 25% of what makes you successful. I.Q. misses the other 75 percent.

PINK: So what we have here is we have mechanisms that measure an important part but an incomplete part of what it means to be intelligent and what it means to be successful. This ought to alarm us more than it does. Imagine getting into an airplane where the pilot was getting only 25% of the data she needed to fly the plane.

CHO: If that's the case, what does it really mean to be smart and how do you get smarter? We went to the McGovern Institute for brain research at M.I.T. Dr. John Gabrieli is a professor of neuro science.

DR. JOHN GABRIELI, M.I.T. PROFESSOR OF NEUROSCIENCE: There is lots of room to change throughout life.

CHO: He showed us computer images of two brains, a composite of a brain with a relatively low I.Q. and one with a higher I.Q. Look at the lower I.Q. brain, lots of activity.

DR. GABRIELE: They are using a lot of their mental resources. They are pushing the gas pedal really hard to do well in this task.

CHO: The higher I.Q. brain, not so much.

DR. GABRIELE: They are trying smarter, not harder, because it is easy for them for some reason.

CHO: Smarter brains, simply put, are more efficient.

DR. GABRIELE: We think in many ways the magic of the brain is the wiring. You know that our brains are really made up of millions of little brains all working together.

CHO (on camera): A smart brain is just processing information much faster than a less smart brain.

GABRIELI: We think that's a huge part of the secret of smartness.

CHO (voice-over): And there is a way to make your brain smarter. And it's a new frontier in science.

GABRIELI: So this is an exercise where you have to remember two things at once. That's what makes it hard.

CHO: This mental exercise can help raise your IQ score by about five points in a relatively short amount of time. Thirty minutes a day, five times a week for about a month.

(On camera): Am I completely lost now?

(Voice-over): Enough to make your head spin. What's significant about this test is that it shows adult brains can change. And a few points on an IQ test can change your life.

GABRIELI: Every few points you get increases your chances of a better paying job of a healthy future, of more stability in your family life.

CHO (on camera): And a longer life.

GABRIELI: Even a longer life.

CHO (voice-over): Which is why these kids start so early.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you point to the picture of the season?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: The pumpkin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The pumpkin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: Come on, he's just three. He is smart. You know there is the age old question, who is smarter, men or women? Well that, we can't answer. But we can tell you that female and male smart brains look different. A female smart brain has good wiring, meaning that information travels efficiently from one part of the brain to the other. A male smart brain, well, it's all about the thickness of the brain matters. So smart male brain, guys, it literally thick.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: So a case where being thick isn't necessarily bad?

CHO: Being thick headed is a good thing if you are a man.

ROBERTS: All right. Thanks, Alina.

CHO: You bet.

CHETRY: All right, we're going to take a break. When we come back, by the way, tomorrow in AMERICAN MORNING are going to examine other smarts -- emotional intelligence? Some educators say that might be a better indicator of IQ test.

And the break is over, now it's time for your top stories.

The big story this morning. Health care reform now awaiting the president's signature to become law. The House passed a Democratic measure last night that promises coverage to some 32 million uninsured Americans.

And a separate compromise package of changes that expands the reach of the measure also passed the House and is now set for a Senate vote as early as tomorrow.

ROBERTS: It was a historic moment in Washington as President Obama's health care overhaul cleared its final hurdle. The legislation the first to really change the system in 40 years is already being compared to the Civil Rights Act.

CNN's senior political analyst David Gergen is here to put it all in historic perspective for us. David, great to see you this morning. So what about this, talking about it as the Civil Rights Act of the 21st century, likening it to the Medicare Act? Really, in terms of history, where does this stand in terms of significance of legislation?

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's certainly the most important piece of social legislation this country has passed since the mid 1960s. I think the more relevant comparison is to Medicare and then going back to the 1930s to Social Security.

In all the three cases, along with the health care at this time, it has a transformative effect upon the way we live, upon the way we -- you know, our financial support for social services. It helps many people at the bottom. It's also expensive.

One difference that I think is notable about this time around is that both Social Security and Medicare passed the House of Representatives with well over 300 votes. Yesterday, as you know, John, 219. Entirely partisan.

That is a disappointment, I think, and it augurs for a very heated political debate continuing right through these November elections and possibly into the 2012 elections.

CHETRY: Right. And what you mean by entirely partisan is that not a single Republican voted for this? There were Democrats who crossed the line and voted no along with Republicans, about 34, I believe.

What is the significance of that when you talk about such historic legislation passing with one party in complete opposition?

GERGEN: Well, it's -- most of our major social legislation has passed on bipartisan lines, and that includes not only Medicare, Social Security, but Civil Rights 1 and Civil Rights 2 in the mid 1960s.

And when -- when such legislation passes with bipartisan lines, it also brings the public along behind because people then have faith that both parties agree on it. And you'll find all of that legislation of the past has been enacted with majority of public support.

And people looked out and said, well, this must be a good idea. And it's been fairly settled fairly quickly. In this case, not only was it partisan but of course the polls have shown now since last August, some seven months, you know, that the public has been largely opposed to this plan.

And now what we're going to have, of course, is a public relations blitz on both sides to try to convince the public they were right all along.

ROBERTS: You know, as we watch this long and tortuous process over those months, David, you said that the president's entire agenda hinges on whether or not he gets this legislation passed. Now that it's at least passed the two Houses and it looks like they may have the votes to pass this -- this package of fixes in the Senate sometime later on this week.

GERGEN: Right.

ROBERTS: What's the impact on the rest of what the presidents wants to do, with things like energy bills, immigration reforms, and what about the 2010 elections?

GERGEN: Well, all those are very, very good questions. I think the immediate point is that both sides do want to put a lot of emphasis on the public relations side of this bill. I mean the president -- you know came out swinging and he plans to hit the road. And the Republicans plan to launch a blitz against it.

And I think both sides, to some degree, have overplayed their hands. The Republicans claim we're going to see socialism in the morning. We're not. The Democrats claim we're going to see an end of suffering in the morning. We're not.

It's going to take a lot longer to work out both. But to go to your question. Had he lost this, I think it would have crippled his chances of getting additional legislation passed. As it stands, it does rally his troops. I think he's a shot at getting some immigration passed.

I think he's got a shot at getting the energy bill but not a climate bill passed. And -- but what is, I think, worrisome to most Americans, what about jobs? You know where is -- you know we've only had a very puny piece of legislation pass on jobs. And you know, after all, that is the number one current concern of Americans.

Why is there so much continuing diversion to that?

CHETRY: Right.

GERGEN: One more piece of legislation I think he has a better chance of getting through now is some sort -- some form of financial regulatory reform, which will bring with it some consumer protection.

CHETRY: You know, and quickly, what happens to the Tea Party Movement? I mean, you know, this was so much opposition, so much anger out there and so many people were mobilized. They lost. I mean technically they wanted to see, kill the bill. It didn't happen. So what now?

GERGEN: It didn't happen. I don't think these folks are going to go away. And John's question was, what happens in 2010 elections? We're going to have a rock 'em, sock 'em set of elections here now.

This is -- this fight has been so deeply embedded now in the American political argument that it's not going to disappear quickly. And people are going to vote heavily, much more heavily, and clearly the (INAUDIBLE) are going to be out this fall. But now that the president has a chance to rally his own side, the Democratic side, who would have been demoralized with a defeat. They'll be out there too. And that's why we're going to have a fairly titanic clash this November.

ROBERTS: Important to watch those races. David Gergen, it's always great to see you. Thanks for coming in this morning.

GERGEN: Thanks --

ROBERTS: I know it's been long day for you yesterday.

GERGEN: Take care. Yes, take care.

CHETRY: Thanks, David.

ROBERTS: All right. Thirty-eight minutes after the hour. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Forty minutes past the hour. In the days and weeks before health care reform passed, things got pretty nasty in D.C. And all that came to a head this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Kill the bill, kill the bill, kill the bill!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Some protesters were even being accused of using racist and homophobic slurs against some lawmakers. One House Democrat even said someone spit on him. And it's been pretty rough inside the two chambers of Congress, too.

So has this debate changed politics in D.C. forever?

Carol Costello is live in Washington with an "A.M. Original" for us this morning.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kiran, I think if we have to go through this every time a major piece of legislation needs to be passed, it's going to be hell.

It has been so ugly and so bitter, if the health care debate was a conversation, it would look a little bit like this. There it is. You like my cheesy bubble there? It's full of words that confused and sometimes angered voters.

The e question this morning, has this kind offer thing become the norm?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO (voice-over): The journey to health care reform in the president's words has been a --

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know this has been a difficult journey.

COSTELLO: Really? Some might say that's the understatement of the year.

MICHAEL STEELE, RNC CHAIRMAN: Whether you call it the death panel, whether you call it a commission.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We were all for public option.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: What you're doing on health care is the nuclear option on steroids.

OBAMA: I believe that Congress owes the American people a final up-or-down vote on health care reform.

COSTELLO: The debate over health care reform has been so emotional and at times so overwrought some suggest it's changed our political culture for good.

DREW WESTEN, AUTHOR & EMORY UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: I think Americans this year saw the sausage being made in a way that they really haven't seen it made in real time before. And it didn't smell very good.

COSTELLO: That smell sent approval ratings south. A recent Pew Research study shows the most frequent one-word descriptions of Congress include dysfunctional, corrupt and inept. And analysts say there is a real sense lobbyists, big business and unions, are buying votes.

WESTEN: The way we're running it now this doesn't look like a democracy anymore. This looks like let's find the golden mean between the public interest and the banker's interest. And that doesn't sit well with most Americans.

COSTELLO: The country's disdain for politicians, and in part health care reform, erupted in passion at town hall meetings.

REP. BARNEY FRANK (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Disruption of health care costs.

COSTELLO: That gave rise to tea parties and charges of socialism. It also solidified in some voters mind Republicans belong to the party of no and the Democrats to the party of dysfunction.

GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: State your rights, state your rights.

COSTELLO: Health care reform also in part prompted at least 20 state legislatures to consider resolutions reasserting state's rights. SEN. SCOTT BROWN (R), MASSACHUSETTS: I'm nobody's senator. I am nobody's senator except yours.

COSTELLO: It cost Democrats a Senate seat in Massachusetts and certainly gave new meaning to saying what you mean.

REP. JOE WILSON (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: You lie.

COSTELLO: Who can forget Congressman Joe Wilson's first time in history shoutout at a Joint Session of Congress? If you're not in your head and wondering not if our political culture has changed -- thanks to health care reform p-- but how voters will react to that change?

WESTEN: Become cynical and not show up at the polls in November, or they are going to become angry and someone is going to use that anger as motivation to change the rules of the game.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: So has our political culture changed for good? We've been asking you what you think this morning at CNN.com/amfix. I'm going to read a couple for you right now.

This is from Joy. She said "The yelling, fighting and the non- health care related demonic signs that were displayed really put a national spotlight on how we feel about our fellow Americans. It really showed the country how little we care from one another."

This from Jackie. She said, "Whatever happened to a dignified professional congressional body? When did these guys decide that name-calling and shouting was acceptable behavior? What's really annoying is that we pay for this."

We'd like you to weigh in. CNN.com/amfix. Always interested in what you have to say. Kiran?

CHETRY: Oh yes, and today we have live bloggings so we're hearing from people in real time. Very interesting stuff. We love to hear people's opinions.

Carol, thanks.

COSTELLO: I think it's more than interesting. It's fiery.

CHETRY: Oh yes, some of it is great, but --

COSTELLO: Angry.

CHETRY: You know a lot of people who've had a personal, you know, experience with fighting an illness and not being able to pay for it are really weighing in this morning. So it's very interesting.

Thanks so much, Carol.

ROBERTS: Keep up the conversation, too. CNN.com/amfix. Tiger Woods talking to reporters over the weekend. We'll hear what he's saying now just ahead. Forty-five minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Its 47 minutes past the hour. It's time to get a check on the weather headlines this morning.

ROBERTS: Our Rob Marciano is in Atlanta for us this morning. And Rob, we've got another bout of bad weather in the Northeast. And I know that we can't really complain because you had it all yesterday.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Exactly. So everyone is getting a little piece of this one. Actually from the West Coast through the Rockies into the plains, we've got a little bit of action. And how about this snow across parts of Arkansas yesterday, a foot of it; parts of Oklahoma, seeing almost a foot as well and Northern Texas, including North Dallas seeing some snow.

My goodness. And here it is, spinning its way down across the Deep South the temperatures here; yes, it's cold enough to support some of this. And there have been reports of some flakes flying across the ATL this morning with temps right around 35 degrees in Atlanta. Not expecting any sort of accumulation but nonetheless, we are now officially into the first full week of spring and winter doesn't want to quit.

Well, you're mild across the northeast today; temperatures in the 50s and 60s but with that mild air is going to come some moisture. And I think the rain is going to be on the increase, one to three inches of snow expected with flood watches out.

The rivers that flooded last week and they're still obviously, very swollen. So any sort of rainfall that we get on top of that is going to exacerbate that situation.

Tomorrow will be windy and breezy, drying out across the south and another storm rolling in, to the Four Corners.

Quick check on the weather, back up to you guys. Just try to stay dry over the next two days.

CHETRY: That's going to be a challenge.

ROBERTS: We did definitely. Well, how long is this El Nino thing hanging around for, Rob?

MARCIANO: It's starting to wane a little bit. But the main concern is what's going on in the Atlantic -- the Arctic oscillation, NAO (ph) that's starting to wane too.

ROBERTS: Ok.

MARCIANO: So we're starting to see a little bit of a shift in the pattern.

ROBERTS: All right, thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right.

CHETRY: And you probably thought it's just El Nino, it's the AO (ph).

ROBERTS: That's it. It's everything, it's everything; it's all conspiring against us.

CHETRY: Sure is.

All right, well, we're going to hear from Tiger Woods himself. He talked to two reporters yesterday. And they asked him some questions about how he feels now about why he did what he did and what he expects to happen moving forward?

It's 49 minutes past the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERTS: Eight minutes now to the top of the hour.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is turning her attention today to the Mideast peace process. In just a few minutes she is expected to address the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee.

CHETRY: Foreign affairs correspondent, Jill Dougherty joins us live in Washington with a little bit more about what we can expect to hear from Secretary Clinton this morning. And you know of course, tensions high between the U.S. and Israel right now.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Right. And you know, John and Kiran, this is really a dramatic day. Because after all, it does come as this very public spat between the United States and Israel has been reaching full force over the past week or so. And that was over the settlements in east Jerusalem.

And now, you have Secretary Clinton speaking before the biggest, the most powerful and influential lobbying group for Israel in the United States. And that is AIPAC. So we're going to hear her speech in just a few minutes.

You might expect of course speaking before a group like this that she will give the obligatory statements about the relationship, the rock solid relationship, she's going to say, between the U.S. and Israel.

But she's also going to have some other things, for example. Here's a quote that the State Department released from the speech. "As Israel's friend, it is our responsibility to give credit when it is due and tell the truth when it is needed." She also, we are expecting, she is going to say that the status is unsustainable for all sides, promising only violence and unrealized aspirations.

And then, she will go on, "But there is another way. However, that will require all parties, including Israel, to make difficult and necessary choices." Another part of the drama, of course, is that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel will be speaking before that same group. And Secretary Clinton, over the past week had a difficult conversation and then went back and talk with Prime Minister Netanyahu again and got some statements that they are calling useful and productive. But nobody knows whether they really -- have put this tension to rest or not. That's what we can know today.

ROBERTS: And talking tough while still trying to maintain the relationship. Jill Dougherty for us this morning, Jill, thanks so much.

We'll be right back with what Tiger Woods is saying in a couple of interviews he gave over the weekend in anticipation of his shot at winning the Master's again. He's come back to golf.

Fifty-five minutes after the hour. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Tiger Woods answering questions for the first time since a scandal rocked his career and his marriage.

ROBERTS: Yes, he gave a couple of interviews over the weekend. And here is what he told ESPN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I've done some pretty bad things in my life. And -- it all came to a head. But now, after treatment, going for inpatient treatment for 45 days and more outpatient treatment, I am getting back to my old roots.

TOM RINALDI, ESPN CORRESPONDENT: For a lot of people, the spark of those bad things is November 27th. Early that day, what happened?

WOODS: Well, it's all in the police report. Beyond that, everything is between Elin and myself, and that's private.

RINALDI: Why did you lose control of the car?

WOODS: As I said, that's between Elin and myself.

RINALDI: If it's a private matter, why issue a public apology?

WOODS: I owe a lot of people an apology. I hurt a lot of people and not just my wife. My friends, my colleagues, the public, kids who looked up to me. There were a lot of people that thought I was a different person and my actions were not according to that. And that's why I had to apologize. I was so sorry for what I've done.

RINALDI: You said you've made transgression. How would you in your own words describe the depth of your infidelity?

WOODS: Well, just one is enough. And obviously, that wasn't the case. And I made my mistakes. And as I said, I've hurt so many people and so many people I have to make amends to. And that's living a life of amends.

RINALDI: You said you were in treatment. The simple question is, for what?

WOODS: That's a private matter as well. But I could tell you what, it's -- it was tough. It was really tough. To look at yourself in a light that you never want to look at yourself, that's pretty brutal.

RINALDI: What did you see?

WOODS: I saw a person that I never thought I would ever become.

RINALDI: who was that?

WOODS: I had gotten away from my core values. I got away from my Buddhism. I quit meditating. I quit doing all the things that my mom and dad taught me. And as I said earlier in my statement, I felt entitled. That's not how I was raised.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: It was an interesting little exchange. How did you crash the car? That's between Elin and me.

CHETRY: Yes. All in the police report he said. Exactly. All right. Well, you'll hear from him; he limited the interviews for five minutes. Then he had to decline (ph).

ROBERTS: All part of the program, I think.

That's going to wrap it up for us. Thanks so much for joining us on this Monday morning. And we will see you back here again bright and early tomorrow.

CHETRY: Meanwhile, the news continues. "CNN NEWSROOM" with Kyra Phillips starts now. Hi, Kyra.